Efforts made to solve dioxin pollution in Vietnam

The Vietnam Environment
Administration (VEA) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment held a seminar on dioxin analytical capacity in Vietnam on
November 30 in Hanoi.

A number of laboratories in
Vietnam have been upgraded to serve the research into the consequences
of Agent Orange/dioxin in Vietnam , including the facility at the
Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre, and the Analytical Centre in Ho Chi
Minh City .

Deputy Director of VEA Le Ke Son said
although Vietnam has gained a number of achievements in researching
and analysing dioxin pollution, the activities have faced obstacles,
including the shortage of personnel.

He called for
assistance from the US Government in terms of equipment and personnel
training in the field, so that Vietnam can achieve the goal of solving
basic problems related to dioxin pollution in Vietnam by 2015.

During 10 years from 1961, the US Army sprayed more than 18.2 million
gallon of Agent Orange containing dioxin onto more than 10 percent of
land in southern Vietnam , destroying millions of hectares of forest
and agricultural land, causing graving impacts to the health of many
Vietnamese people and the following generations.

It
is estimated that more than 4.8 million Vietnamese were exposed to
Agent Orange/dioxin, most of whom live along the Truong Son Road and
boundary area with Cambodia . Many of the victims have died while
million of their descendants are still living with diseases and poverty
due to the affects of Agent Orange./.VNA